Students from the Agrupamento de Escolas Silves Sul received a hero’s welcome at Faro Airport on Sunday evening after returning from a successful Model United Nations (MUN) conference in Manchester, UK.
Parents, teachers, friends and members of the Rotary Club of Silves gathered at the airport, holding a large banner reading “Welcome Home to our MUN Heroes” and cheering as the young delegates emerged.
This marks the third consecutive year that the Rotary Club of Silves has organised and supported the educational initiative, enabling six students, accompanied by two teachers, to travel to Cheadle Hulme, near Manchester, to participate in the international conference.
The event challenges students to take on the roles of diplomats, representing different countries and debating global issues through the procedures of the United Nations.
This year’s teams represented Portugal and Mozambique and achieved several important milestones. For the first time, their proposed resolutions were accepted, while the Mozambique delegation received awards for its diplomatic documentation. Individual students also earned special mentions for their contributions to committee debates.
Two former participants, who represented Portugal and Angola last year, were invited back to serve as guest chairs of the youth and environment committees, providing further recognition of the Algarve school’s involvement in the programme.
The achievements made the homecoming particularly emotional, with parents waving caricatures of their children as they welcomed them back.
In a heartfelt message, families expressed their pride in the students’ accomplishments and thanked the teachers and Rotary members who made the experience possible.
“Seeing them grow, take on the role of diplomats and represent Portugal and Mozambique abroad with such maturity, determination and brilliance fills our hearts with boundless joy,” the parents said.
They also praised the teachers for their “commitment, guidance and tireless care” in preparing the students for the challenge.
Special thanks went to the Rotary Club of Silves for its continued investment in educational opportunities.
“This dream only became a reality because Rotary Club of Silves, more than just sponsoring the trip, decided to invest in the future, potential and self-confidence of our students,” the families said.
“Thank you, Rotary, for opening the doors of the world to our young diplomats and the teachers for helping them to fly.”
Concert to support future educational projects
To help fund future Model United Nations participation and other educational initiatives in local schools, the Rotary Club of Silves is organising a classical music concert on Friday, October 23, at Teatro Mascarenhas Gregório in Silves.
Organised in partnership with Silves Municipal Council, the evening will feature three performances by the 20-strong student orchestra of Sociedade Filarmónica Silvense, saxophone quartet XelbInSax and Portuguese soprano Mariana Mendes.
Doors open at 7pm for welcome drinks, with the concert beginning at 8pm.
Tickets cost €20, including a welcome drink, with proceeds supporting educational projects in local schools.
For reservations, email [email protected] or call 927 576 472 (English) or 916 145 739 (Portuguese).
